Frequently Asked Questions
Testing
A physician or staff member will clean your back with an alcohol pad. When the test is applied to your skin, you will feel slight pressure from the applicator prongs. It will take approximately two minutes to apply the entire test. You will relax face down until while the results develop.
No. There is slight pressure from the applicators when the test is applied, and the test scratches/pricks the first layer of skin. As the test develops, you may experience a temporary itching or a tingling sensation similar to a mosquito bite.
After your physician documents the test results, a staff member will use an alcohol wipe to clean the antigens off your back. Immediately, any itching sensation will start to subside. You may also be offered an antihistamine and/or an anti-itching cream. Marks from the test may remain visible for up to 48 hours.
Results are available in approximately 15 minutes, and you will be able to review them and discuss allergy treatment options with your physician before you leave the office.
Yes. Most insurance plans will cover one round of allergy testing.
Yes. The test is specifically designed for non-allergist physicians to safely assess patients in an ordinary clinical setting. The panel excludes dangerous allergens like shellfish, peanuts, and berries and presents very low risk of anaphylaxis. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) states that scratch tests can be performed safely on infants as young as 1 month old.
No. Each MRS Allergy test kit contains everything you need to conduct a test safely: an 80 antigen set (larger and smaller sets are available), needle-free applicators for 25 patients, and skin markers, rulers and marketing materials. The only additional equipment you will need are standard medical office supplies such as gauze, gloves, and a large sharps container.
We recommend certification for every staff member who will help conduct allergy tests. That is why, at no extra cost, we provide extensive and on-going training under a Board Certified Immunologist, webinars, and allergy certification for all staff, including physicians.
It is not always easy to know which patients will benefit most from allergy testing and treatment, especially since allergy symptoms can present in many different ways. Our team will train you on how to recognize which patients should be tested.
Treatment
You will be able to order both sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) allergy drops and subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) allergy shots through the MRS website.
Low doses of harmless allergens are placed under your tongue where they are absorbed by tiny capillaries. These allergens then attach to dendritic cells, which in turn affect your TH2 cells in ways that reduce or suppress allergies and related symptoms.
Within the first three months of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) treatment. By the time you come in for the follow up at 12 weeks you’ll likely be feeling much better and already taking less of your usual allergy medications. The length of relief varies from person to person but most patients experience significant improvement for at least 10-15 years. For some, it will be significantly longer!
Your SLIT serum will be specifically formulated for you based on the allergens you are allergic to.
You should stay on allergy medications at the start of SLIT therapy. At the first follow-up visit (about 12 weeks after treatment begins) your provider will begin to taper the medications. You may find you have already started feeling so much better by the first visit that you are no longer medication-dependent.
The antigens in the treatment are FDA approved for use in shots. Sublingual therapy is an “off label” use. It is similar to using Albuterol in children, or giving baby aspirin to prevent heart disease. Sublingual application is clinically proven to be safer than injections and is endorsed by the World Health Organization.
About every 12 weeks throughout the course of treatment. On these follow-up visits your provider will give you a quick exam, discuss your progress, and prescribe your refill. The drops should last about three months, but since a drop is not a precise measure the supply may last a bit longer or run out a bit sooner. You’ll start your next phase when the last one runs out.
Three to four years depending on individual circumstances. If you are unable to complete the treatment, the allergen resistance will last a few weeks or months after treatment is discontinued. You will be able to restart treatment at any time, but if several months have passed you may be advised to restart at the first stage of treatment.
Yes, most insurance plans cover at least one round of allergy testing and treatment.
Drops are extremely safe, with rare, and mild, side effects. There are no fatalities reported. SLIT has been used for over 60 years worldwide and the majority of allergy patients in Central Europe receiving immune therapy use SLIT.
Yes! Talk to your allergy treatment provider; you’ll find the transition is quick and seamless and could start immediately!
If you miss one dose, or even a few, you can pick up where you left off. If the drops are discontinued for more than one month you may be advised to restart the treatment process.
SLIT drops are NOT medication and have no additives, so there is generally no reason to be concerned. However, it’s important to watch closely for signs of allergic reaction. Go to the emergency room (ER) immediately if you feel symptoms of severe allergic reaction.
SLIT drops are essentially grass, weeds, pollen, etc. and are completely nontoxic; there is generally no reason to be concerned if a child consumes them. But watch closely for signs of allergic reaction and take your child to the ER if he/she develops signs of reaction.
The ingredients of SLIT drops are part of a pet’s normal life so there is usually no reason to worry if your pet consumes them. However, if your pet shows signs of allergic reaction, take it to the vet immediately.
It’s safe for children and adults; convenient because it’s administered at home and takes just seconds per day; painless and easy; ideal for frequent travelers, who can take the drops anywhere; very cost effective.
Facilities, Training and Support
Yes. You and your existing staff can administer our testing and treatment programs, and we provide training and ongoing support at no cost to you. The test is CLIA-free, and Medical Assistants are qualified to perform it, interpret the results, and document them.
Probably not. Our tests are designed to be administered in a typical physician’s office.
Test results are documented on a provided form, then entered into MRS Allergy’s online portal, which can then algorithmically generate a custom prescription for treatment of that specific patient, and you can order that treatment through the portal as well. Prescriptions are filled within 48 hours.
Yes. First, it will help you and your staff keep your patients healthier. Second, physicians who have used them report that our testing and treatment programs are efficient, effective, and profitable.